Index card compressor



Dec. 20, 1932.

E. C. BULLOCK Filed Aug. 17, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l uufior 1am, C.YimUocK MM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E. C. BULLOCK INDEX CARD COMPRESSOR FiledAug. 1'7, 193].

Dec. 20, 1932.

Patented Dec. 20, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EARLE G. BULLOCK, OEGRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR 'IO METAL OFFIO'E FURNITURE COMPANY,OF'GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHI- GAN mnnx cam)comrmisson Application filed August 17, 1931. Serial No. 557,577.

This invention pertains generally to a tray and more particularly to anindex card compressor. One defect of devices of the present type hasbeen that the cards cannot be maintained in assembled relationship withthe proper pressure holding them together because the slide member whichabuts the cards at the rear side of the drawer has not been capable ofbeing held in exactly the desired position. In other words, the rearslide is not capable of being adjusted to exactly a position desired,but could only be adjusted substantially to that position. Moreover,there has been no means for holding the cards under a compressivestrain.

In my invention, I not only provide a rear slide plate or member whichis capable of being adjusted to an infinite number of positions but Ialso provide a front plate or memher which is spring-pressed against thecards, this front plate cooperating in action with the adjustable rearplate.

' Another advantage of my invention resides in the construction of theclutch or gripping means between the rear slide plate and the guidingtrack upon which the rear plate operates. In this regard it should benoted that the friction roller which engages against the inner side ofthe guiding channel track member is entirely withdrawn from contacttherewith when the finger plate is operated, this finger plate beingoperated during the movement of the rear slide plate. Thus, the frictionroller does not tend to hinder the operation by hearing against theguiding channel track but is out of contact therewith.

Other objects, advantages and meritorious qualities reside in thevarious elements forming the invention as more fully hereinafterdescribed and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsforming part hereof, wherein,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a drawer equipped with myinvention.

Fig. 2. is a cross-sectional view, this view being taken along the planeof the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the sliding plate,

this view being in cross-section and being taken along the line 4-4 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view taken along the line 66 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 7 is an inverted plan view taken along the line 7 -7 of Fig. 4.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, a drawer or tray consists of abottom member 10 bent upwardly at either side thereof to form walls orsides 11 and having an end 12 fastened thereto. The sides 11, at theirfront ends, extend into the front member 13, this front member 13 havingrearwardly extending side walls 14 and rearwardly extending top walls15. Also, there is a rearwardly extending bottom portion 16, see F ig.2, which extends underneath the depressed central channel-shaped portion17 of the bottom member 10. A channel-shaped member 20, see Figs. 2 and3, is fastened at the rear side of the front plate 13 and a handlemember 1 is slidably mounted therein in the manner shown. A leaf springmember 22 is fastened inside of the channel member and its ends extendtoward the rear side of the drawer. A box-shaped tab 23 has outwardlyextending flanges 24, see Fig. 3, and the leaf spring 22 bears againstand tends to push this tab member 23 rearwardly of the drawer. Asclearly shown in Fig. 3 the side walls 11 of the drawer preventexcessive movement of the tab member 23 by engagement of the flanges 24therewith and also strips 25, see Fig. 1, are placed between therearwardly extending portions 14 of the front member 13 and the sides ofthe tab member above the side walls 11, these strips being fastened tothe portions 14 and hence also aiding in preventing excessive movementof the tab member 23 rearwardly. It will be noted that the tab orabutment member 23 is capable of a limited shifting or universalmovement to take care of unsymmetrical cards, as, for instance, cardswhich have index symbols attached to one side thereof.

The operation of the tab member will now 100 be apparent. When thecards, designated by the numeral 50, are located in the tray member, thefront card is positioned immediately adjacent the tab member 23. Thistab member is free to slide forwardly until the flanges 24 abut againstthe inner sfde of the member 13 whenever sufficient force is exerted tocompress the leaf spring 22. Thus the cards 50 are readily maintainedunder pressure as desired. The box-like member or tab'23 is cut away andcurled downwardly as indicated at 26, see Figs. 1 and 2, thus preventinginterference between the tab and the handle member 21.

As previously set forth the bottom member 10 is depressed at-17 and achannel-shaped guide track 30 with outwardly extending flanges 31 isfastened interiorly of the depressed portion 17. A sliding plate 32 hasportions 33 which telescope about the flanges 31 and hence a slidingconnection is formed between this plate 32 and the track member 30. Abracket member 34 is rigid with the sl ding plate 32 and carries therear slide plate 35, this plate 35 contacting with the rear card in thefile. A channel-shaped finger plate 36 is pivoted on the bracket member34 as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

A lever 37 is pivotally and slidably mounted upon the bottom of thebracket member 34, see Figs. 4 and 6, and this connection is indicatedby the reference numeral 38. The lever 37 has an upstanding lug 39 whichis adapted to be engaged by the lower portion of the finger plate 36.See particularly Fig. 5. Whenever the upper end of the finger plate 36is swung rearwardly as indicated by the arrow A, see Fig. 5, the lowerportion of the plate 36 will engage the portion 39 on the lever 37 andhence cause movement of the lever.

A friction roller 40 is pivotally mounted upon the other end of thelever 37, the mounting for this friction roller extending throughopenings through the bracket member 34 and the plate member 32. It willbe noted that this opening is in the form of a slot as indicated by thenumeral 41. See Fig. 7. An abutment member 42 is located on the bottomside of the sliding member 32 at an angle to the vertical sdes of thechannel member 30. The roller 40 is positioned directly between theabutment member 42 and one of the vertical flanges on the chan- -'nelguiding track 30. See Figs. 4 and 7.

The operation of the sliding rear plate 35 will be readily understood.Whenever the finger plate 36 is engaged and pushed rearwardly asindicated by the arrow A in Fig. 5, the lever 37 will be moved so thatthe roller 40 will be drawn out of engagement with the vertical portionof the channel-shaped member 30 due'to the factthat the mounting for theroller 40 engages against the inclined side of the opening 41 and hencepushes the 40 will not be in engagement with the member 30'and hence norotation of the roller will occur and no retarding or interference'witheasy sliding will occur. After the plate 35 is in its chosen position,the finger plate 36 is released and the spring 45 engages against theportion 39' on the lever 37 thus causing the parts to assume theirnormal position whereby the roller 40 again comes into wedgingengagement with the track member 30 and thus maintains the rear plate 35locked in its adjusted position. By suitable adjustment of the plate 35the front tab 23 may be compressed to exactly the desired extent wherebythe cards 50 will be placed under exactly the proper pressure asdesired.

Having thus revealed this invention, I claim as new and desire to securethe followmg combinations and elements or equivalents thereof, byLetters Patent of the United States.

I claim:

-1. In a, device of the character described, a drawer having a front endmember extending upwardly therefrom, a tab member slid;

ably mounted adjacent the front member,

yieldable means between the tab member and the front, member, a slideplate mounted upon said drawer whereby it may slide to and from the tabmember, said slide member and said tab member adapted to receive cardstherebetween and means for holding said slide member in any of its manypositions.

2. In a device of the class described, a tray having a bottom member anda front member extending upwardly therefrom, a member positioned inslidable relationship to said front member and spaced a slight distancetherefrom, spring means-between-the front member and the last-mentionedmember, a

plate slidably mounted on the bottom member of the tray and adapted tobe moved relative to the member which is yieldably associated with thefront of the tray, said plate and said yieldable member adapted toreceive cards therebetween, and clutch means for holding the slide platein any particular one of its severalpositi'ons.

3. In a tray having a yieldable abutment at one end thereof, thecombination of a plate slidably mounted in said trav, said plate beingadapted to be moved relative to the abutment. said plate and saidabutment being adapted to have cards or the like placed therebetween,and means associated with said 7 upon said track, a bracket member rigidwith said sliding plate, a lever mounted upon said sliding plate, aroller mounted upon said lever and adapted to engage with the trackwhereby the bracket and its plate is prevented from movement in onedirection and means mounted upon the bracket and engageable with saidlever for removing the roller from engagement with the track.

5. In combination with a drawer having a track formed therein, a slidingplate mounted upon said track, a bracket member fastened to said slidingplate and extending upwardly therefrom, a lever pivoted upon saidsliding plate, a roller pivoted upon said lever, said roller beingadapted to engage the sliding track. and a finger plate pivoted upon thesaid bracket and engaging the lever member whereby the roller may berendered inoperative.

6. In combination, a guiding track, a slide plate mounted thereon. alever loosely pivoted upon said plate whereby it may oscillate and alsohave a slight rectilinear movement, a roller upon the lever, said rollerbeing adapted to engage the track, and means for rotating said levermember whereby the roller is moved from engagement with the track.

7. A device as set forth in claim 6 in which spring means engage thelever member and urge the roller into engagement with the track member.

8. In a device of the type set forth. a tray having a track extendinglengthwise thereot a sliding plate engaged with said track and adaptedto move therealong. a bracket member rigid with said sliding plate, alever having a lug extending upwardly thereon pivotally mounted upon thesliding plate, a roller member pivoted onto the end of the lever andengaging against the track, a finger plate pivoted on the bracketmember, said finger plate being adapted to engage the upstanding lug onthe lever member whereby the roller is moved in one direction and springmeans for urging the roller in the other direction.

9. In combination, a track element, a plate slidably engaged with saidtrack element, said plate having a slot extending at an angle to thetrack element formed therein. an abutment plate rigidly fastened to theplate. said abutment also being at an angle to the track element, alever slidably pivoted on the plate. a roller located between saidabutment and said track element, means for pivotally mounting the rollerupon the lever, said lastmentioned means extending through said slot,and means for moving the lever member in one direction whereby theroller will Wedge between the abutment and the track element therebylocking the plate in engagement with the track element and additionalmeans for moving the lever member in the other direction, whereby themounting means of the roller member will engage the side of the slotthereby withdrawing the roller member from engagement with the trackelement.

10. The combination with a drawer adapted to receive cards arranged onedge, of two spaced-apart compressing members adapted to receive saidcards between them, means for movably mounting one of said compressionmembers for movement toward or away from the other compression member,means for clamping said movable compression member to the position towhich it is adjusted, and a yieldable abutment on one of saidcompression members mounted to yield in a direction opposed to the othercompression member, said yieldable abutment being of substantially thesame size as the cards and beirlilg normally held in parallelismtherewit 11. The combination with a drawer adapted to receive cards onedge, of two compression members spaced apart and adapted to receivesaid cards between them, means for mounting one of said compressionmembers for movement in a direction toward or away from the othercompression member, means for holding said movable compression member inthe position to which it is moved, a substantially verticalcard-engaging surface on one of said compression members and a yieldablecard engaging abutment on the opposite compression member, saidyieldable abutment normally exerting its pressure centrally of the cardsand being capable of a limited universal movement.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

EARLE C. BULLOCK.

